Alexandria Provides COVID Updates; Executive Order Extended; Vaccine Panel Discussion; Emergency Food Distribution; Unemployment Benefits

Press release from the City of Alexandria:

Jan 27, 2021 at 8:19 PM

City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; Executive Order 72 Extended; Vaccine Panel Discussion Now Available; Vaccine Dashboard; Emergency Food Distribution this Saturday; Updates to Unemployment Benefits

­­For Immediate Release: January 27, 2021

The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) strongly urge residents to stay home as much as possible during the current surge of COVID-19 cases in our community. Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are increasing in Alexandria. Take immediate and ongoing action to control the spread by wearing a
mask over both your nose and mouth, staying home unless it’s necessary to go out, and washing your hands frequently. Without these critical steps, additional lives may be at risk.

Executive Order 72 Extended

Governor Ralph Northam announced today that
Executive Order 72 will be extended through February 28, due to the continued high positivity rate of COVID-19. The City’s “
Protect Yourself & Others” web page provides details of the executive order’s guidance, including:

• A modified Stay at Home Order remains in effect between 12 and 5 a.m.

Vaccine Panel Discussion Recording Now Available

A
recorded panel discussion answering questions about COVID-19 vaccines is now available online in English, Spanish, Amharic and Arabic. A panel of local medical experts, civic leaders and community leaders discusses COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness; the role vaccines play in ending the pandemic; who is currently eligible to be vaccinated; and what to expect when vaccines are more widely available. This event is the first in a series of panels addressing the vaccine and impacts of the pandemic in our community.

Vaccine Dashboard Now Available

In an effort to clarify the COVID-19 vaccine distribution process, the Virginia Department of Health launched a new
vaccine dashboard, which includes the number of vaccine doses Virginia has received; where they have been delivered and where they are located; and the number of Virginia residents who have been vaccinated.

Emergency Food Distribution this Saturday

ALIVE! Truck-to-Trunk will distribute emergency groceries for Alexandria residents at two drive-through sites on Saturday, January 30, 8:30-10:30 a.m., in the parking lot of Cora Kelly Elementary School (3600 Commonwealth Ave.) and parking lot B-1 of the Northern Virginia Community College Alexandria Campus (3320 Bisdorf Drive via Dawes Ave.). Per college policy, if they close for any reason, such as inclement weather, the food distribution will be canceled. To minimize risk of possible exposure to COVID-19, attendees are asked to drive through and remain in their cars and stay home if they feel sick. Walk-up service is reserved for residents without personal vehicles. Customers who participate in walk-up service should maintain 6 feet of physical distance, wear face masks, and bring carts or reusable bags to carry food home. Customers with vehicles should use the drive-through option. Additional
food assistance resources are available for Alexandria residents.

Updates to Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment benefit programs for Virginia residents who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic have been extended. Legislation was passed by Congress in December 2020 to continue unemployment assistance under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) programs. All Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) unemployment compensation programs have been extended through March 13, providing benefits for an additional 11 weeks. The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program will provide an additional $300 per week for regular Unemployment Insurance, PUA and PEUC participants, which will be added to weeks claimed beginning with the week ending January 2 and will continue to pay through March 14 for eligible claims. Visit the
Virginia Employment Commission COVID-19 web page for complete details of these updates.

Alexandria COVID-19 Data At-a-Glance

The chart below, containing the seven-day moving average number of COVID-19 cases and the daily and cumulative case and fatality counts, provides detailed information about how preventive measures are impacting Alexandria's response to the pandemic. An interactive version is available at
alexandriava.gov/114883. Detailed data, including data on age, race and ethnicity, are available through links at
alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus.

AHD estimates that approximately 1 in 15 Alexandrians who tested positive for COVID-19 have required hospitalization. An estimated 66% of Virginia adults who become infected never have symptoms. The best ways to stop the spread of COVID-19 remain wearing a mask in public, maintaining at least 6 feet of distance from others, and frequently washing your hands or carrying and using hand sanitizer with at least 60% ethyl alcohol. Help your loved ones and neighbors by calling your close contacts if you test positive for COVID-19. Learn who to call and what to say from AHD's “
What to Do If You Get Sick” guidance, which is available in
Spanish,
Amharic,
Arabic, and
Farsi or this brief
video. Download the Virginia Department of Health’s
COVIDWISE app to be quickly and anonymously notified of likely exposure to the virus.

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This news release is available at
alexandriava.gov/120053.

This press release was produced by the City of Alexandria.The views expressed here are the author’s own.